Monthly Archive:: October 2010

“I’m a toolmaker; I’m not a musician.” With trademark modesty, so said Bob Moog, the man who–for all intents and purposes–invented the modern synthesizer. I sat down recently at an Asheville NC coffee shop with his daughter Michelle Moog-Koussa to discuss the work of the Bob Moog Foundation. As Louis Armstrong‘s “Wonderful World” played softly

Popular legend among Beatles fans holds that George Harrison‘s 1974 North American tour was an unmitigated disaster. As the story goes, Harrison came down with a severe case of hepatitis (or, as he called it in some interviews, “hippie-titis”). As a result of the malady, he lost his voice. For many artists, that would have

If Neil Finn (Crowded House) were an American instead of a Kiwi, he might sound a bit like Tommy & the High Pilots. On the opener and title cut of T&THP’s EP American Riviera, they rock out with a catchy riff, and apply a yearning vocal atop it all. An unadorned production style has more

I’m not sure what it is, exactly, but for some reason, albums by a few quality bands with female lead singers seem to be finding their way onto my desk in recent months. The latest is This Will Be One for the Books by We Landed on the Moon! And though both the band name

Lucky Peterson‘s had a hard time of it these last many years. Struggles with drug addiction and related health problems plus spotty distribution of his occasional albums have meant that music consumers haven’t been properly treated to his brand of music. Thankfully for him and us, those issues seem to be put in the past

First of all, the fact that Wheels on Fire‘s Cherry Bomb EP is issued on 45rpm vinyl pushes its cool-quotient up several notches before I even get the opportunity to spin the vinyl. But on listening, it’s even better. “Black Wave” has it all: jangling, spiky guitars, “ooh”-filled backing vocals, sneering lead vocals not miles

Allen Clapp is not British. But you’ll be forgiven for thinking he is when you listen to the new EP Dawn of the Fairwood Singers. The three-song release boasts a sound that evokes the breezy, pastoral sounds of late 60s and early 70s soft (but not lame!) rock. The cover artwork offers an ideal shorthand

John Barry is a rightly revered figure in the world of film soundtracks. Winner of five Oscars for his work on films including Born Free, The Lion in Winter, Out of Africa and Dances With Wolves, the British composer/arranger/musician has earned and enjoyed popularity over the course of his long career. As leader of the

It’s all well and good to demand the highest standards in video quality in a concert film. Technology has progressed to the point where viewers pop in a music DVD expecting to see high quality digital transfers, 5.1 digital sound, and expert camera work. But sometimes, if the content itself — you know, the actual

This one’s a rare and unexpected treat. While any number of Beatles-related films remain officially unavailable — there’s still no legitimate DVD release of Let it Be, nor the ’66 Budokan shows, nor the Shea Stadium film — yet the folks at Dark Horse (George Harrison‘s custom label) have put together a box set of

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